For me, this balm is the absolute Holy Grail of all balms. It’s the one I reach for at least once a day, when my skin needs some TLC, to remove the heaviest waterproof eye makeup. I know so many worship at the altar of Emma Hardie Moringa Balm; don’t get me wrong, this is also a lovely product that I really enjoy using. But I hate that the texture of Emma Hardie goes somewhat grainy near the end and it seems to gloop and separate when the weather gets a bit warmer. Do not like.

It’s a solid balm that transforms into an oil upon skin contact – it’s fragrance-free, free of mineral oil and ophthalmologist so it’s suitable for the sensitive of skins and eyes.

This balm is perfect for massage which is something I’m a big believer in: I like to give my face a quick massage every morning (depending on how late I am for the school run, obvs) and a couple of times a week use an oil for a lymphatic drainage massage, which is a technique my friend Phoebe recommended to me. Though time-consuming this has really helped with the puffiness of my face, particularly this weekend where an allergic reaction left me with swollen eyes on the same day as a date. Antihistamines + lymphatic massage = puffiness gone. Have a look at this YouTube tutorial for lymphatic drainage massage ideas, or here for more general massage techniques.

Clinique’s Take The Day Off isn’t a sexy balm, like the incredibly luxurious Elemis Pro-Collagen cleanser. This is functional, fast and does what is says on the tin. Cleanses like a dream with no faff or fuss. I like to use it as my first cleanse in the evening – it gets through layers of makeup, including waterproof mascara, and hefty SPF – or as my morning cleanse. As always I clean it off my face with a clean flannel which I then chuck in the wash with some Napisan afterwards.

I’d recommend this to anyone – even my mum who has the most sensitive of skins so she’s used to cleaning with aqueous cream. It’s bloody brilliant.

Hi Karen,
Are you sure of this? I’m quite certain this product – which is non-exfoliating and turns to an oil upon contact with the skin – does not contain microbeads. It is a definite wax texture changing to liquid when warm. There’s certainly no tangible beads and, as is my understanding, you can feel even the smallest of microbeads with your fingers.
I searched a couple of lists and this product is not on them. I make efforts to buy products that do not contain microbeads because of the reasons you’ve listed above.

I’m pretty sure. I’ve recently been reading a fair bit about them as the WI are currently proposing this, amongst 7 other campaigns, as our resolution for this year. That and the fact that I work for an environmental agency who are campaigning against the use of them.

Hi Karen,
I’ve spoken to Clinique this afternoon as I’d be wary of using a product with microbeads – they have confirmed it does not have them in the product :) I’m glad to see legislation is going the way of banning them, also! I always think Burts Bees have some great products that are fab natural alternatives.
Ax

KarenJanuary 18, 2016 at 4:27 pm

Umm this is interesting.

I too have contacted Clinique and they’ve confirmed, via email, that Take The Day Off cleansing balm does indeed contain polyethylene. Perhaps I’ve completely misunderstood the ingredient(s) that goes into microbeads.

Hey ho as with everything we can decide what we use and if we wish to be as ethical as we possibly can. I suppose it all comes down to personal choice.

As a long term user of this product, I can confirm that it does not contain any micro beads. It does, however, contain poly-ethylene (as part of the base of the product) in semi solid form. This does not cause the same issues as poly-ethylene beads in most facial scrubs to which the article refers.
Hope that helps X

If you have been using this product for a while or choose to now as a result of this Blog that is your choice. You are making your own decisions. If you are happy to be using Polyethylene (a plastic) on your body then rinsing the excess off to enter our waters that is your decision. For me it’s not even something I’d consider, my decision.

I love the sound of this – eye make-up being my biggest pain. Just when I think i’ve got it all off, 10 minutes later, I look like a panda again. As a side note, I looked on a couple of reliable websites about which products contain microbeads, and not one of them listed this product, so i’m pretty confident i’ll be picking some up tomorrow :)

Ahh that panda look… I”m sure it’s going to come back into fashion soon! I just checked re: microbeads with Clinique and they told me they aren’t in this product so we can proceed in good conscience :)

I’ve never tried this one but I’m a big fan of the Emma Hardie so will definitely be trying out this one. And it’s cheaper! My face really needs some love at the moment. January does not like my face. x

OK, OK, you’ve convinced me to try it, I love your reviews! I did find the microbeads thread very interesting, because I have been avoiding products with them in ever since I read about the damage they can do.

Having oily skin, prone to breakouts, I was always under the impression that I needed to dry out my skin with a foamy soap but I made the switch to balms some time last year and the rebalance has been incredible. A real aha moment.

I used to use the Eve Lom balm cleanser which was great. Not sure why I stopped using that, probably felt it was too expensive once I started having kids and had other things to worry about. This sounds like a really good and cheaper alternative. Love cleansers that take your eye-makeup off at the same time! xx

My mother swears by Clinique and for her age she has amazing skin and it’s so good to read how this is a “must have” for you as I feel like I am ready to start investing more in my skin and finding daily products to use and stick too